Love Me Tender
by striginesensibility
Summary: Ladybug is injured, and Chat Noir comes to her aid. Tumblr post drabble concerning Chat Noir's claws. Silly fluffy one shot.


Idk man. I haven't written anything in an obscenely long time, so here have a dumb drabble. I'm into this fandom like an ice cube into a boiling pot-that is to say _immediately and irreversibly dead._

Based on ofchatsandladies's post: "I'm obssessed with Chat's claws! Imagine how those makes him be even more careful and tender when touching ladybug to avoid hurting her?"

Anyway, enjoy?

* * *

The alley was silent save for their dissonant gasps as they fought to catch their breath. Chat scanned the rooftops, eyes straining for any shadows indicating that the akuma was nearing their hiding place.

He broke his gaze for a moment to glance over at Ladybug, slouched against the wall to his left. She had gotten her breathing under control but was now exhaling sharply through her nose, mouth drawn in a tight line. Her hands were pressed tightly against her ribs.

"My Lady?"

"It's fine."

He cocked an eyebrow at her, a stifling aura of incredulity rolling off him as he moved to her side.

"Keep watching. We can't hide out here forever—either he'll find us, or our transformations will time out. Not really in favor of either option. I just need to rest for a moment." She shifted her hand and a quiet grunt of pain escaped her lips.

"It's not even bleeding, really! I just won't be leaping from rooftops for a whi—Calm down you silly cat!" Her blue eyes went impossibly wide as she looked up from her injury to find him mere inches from her nose.

"My Lady, it is most definitely not fine. Please, let me have a look?"

"Suddenly an accomplished doctor, are we?" she muttered, tearing her eyes away from his to glare daggers at the wall opposite her.

Nodding her assent to his examination though, she let him place a hand over hers and move her fingers aside. She hummed in disapproval as his claw brushed against the growing bruise, and he dropped away instantly. He looked down at his palms, eyebrows knitting together.

"My apologies…"

"I told you it's fine. It's just tender. But try not to stab me and make it worse, silly cat." Her smile never failed to reassure him.

Her suit was slashed from the projectile she'd failed to avoid and blood trickled out of a long cut, dripping down to mingle with the red fabric. As always, he was impressed by her agility: had she not moved even as far as she did, they'd be dealing with an arrow in her chest rather than a mere scrape. She was correct though—the injury was not severe, but they did need to deal with it before they could finish this battle. And then she could go home where she'd be _safe_ and _so much less distracting_.

It hadn't taken them long to learn that they weren't impenetrable in their Miraculous forms—just harder to hit—so he'd taken to carrying a small kit in one of his pockets for just these occasions. (Though if he was honest, it was usually Ladybug doing the patching up and him the recipient.)

He gestured an adhesive bandage at her with a toothy grin. She simply rolled her eyes and moved her hands away to allow him access to the cut, as it was in too awkward place for her reach herself.

Her breathing was shallow, trained as she watched him out of the corner of her eye, but he was careful not to touch her tender skin with his claws again as he dabbed the blood away and then smoothed the bandage over the cut. He tamped it down by running the back of his finger over it, noting the hitch in her breath.

His worried eyes found her face again—her cheeks were a charming shade of pink but she gave no indication that he'd hurt her again.

"All better?"

"For now," she replied, rolling her shoulder to flex out her ribs. "It'll do long enough to finish this fight."

She offered him her gloved hands, and he pulled her to her feet, careful not to jostle her too much. Ladybug held his wrists, examining his hands. "Let's put your claws to some better use, hmm?"

He smiled, and fell into step just behind her, as she walked to the end of the alley.

"After you, kitty cat. Go catch me an archer."


End file.
